Novice teachers and classroom management: exploring classroom disruptive behaviour forms and their management by novice teachers in a township secondary school.

Abstract

Disruptive behaviours in schools have been an ongoing pandemic, especially in township schools. This study explored classroom disruptive behaviours forms and their management by novice teachers in a township secondary school. The study’s objectives were to explore forms of disruptive learner behaviours encountered, how and why novice teachers managed those behaviours in their classrooms in the way they did. By novice teachers, the study referred to teachers who are fresh from universities, enthusiastic and keen to impart the knowledge they acquired. However, in their classrooms, they are met with the challenge of disruptive learner behaviours and are expected to simultaneously deal with learner disruptions creating an effective teaching and learning environment. The study was framed by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, which looks at a person’s development. The researcher employed a qualitative approach rooted in the interpretive paradigm. A case study of one township secondary school was used to explore disruptive learner behaviours forms and novice teacher’s management of disruptive learner behaviours. The school had about 16 novice teachers, and six of them were purposively sampled to participate in a semistructured interview and non-participant observation. Data collected were analysed using thematic analysis. Data generated indicated that novice teachers encountered several classroom disruptions such as noisemaking, late coming, sleeping, eating, and cell phone use. Factors such as home, societal settings, drug use, and overcrowding in the classrooms, were viewed as triggering disruptive behaviours. Findings revealed that novice teachers did not possess effective strategies to manage disruptive behaviours. However, they tried several strategies, starting by personally dealing with a disruptive learner, involving experienced teachers or School Management Team, and finally involving parents if the behaviours persisted. It was noted that the strategies employed by novice teachers were reactive rather than proactive and were meant to limit rather than eliminate disruptive behaviours. The study concluded that novice teachers need to be equipped with skills of creating a positive climate with less or no disruptions and with proper strategies to deal with the different forms of disruptive learner behaviours. The study recommended that the Department of Education organise in-service programs for novice teachers to equip them with the necessary skills for managing disruptive learner behaviours in schools. Moreover, it was recommended that schools organise motivational talks for learners that specifically deal with disruptive behaviours.